Luxury Kalahari Tours made for you

The Kalahari, at 350,000m², spreads itself over most of Botswana, the east of Namibia and the north of South Africa. Derived from the Tswana word Kgala, meaning ‘the great thirst’, its name suggests a place of desolation and drought that belies the region’s true nature. While its harsh landscapes might seem bleak at first, this semi-arid sandy savannah supports a spectrum of animal and plant life, and is in fact not a desert in the truest sense.

Look past the unforgiving exterior and you’ll find a well-adapted eco-system teeming with wildlife. Annual rains produce blooming plains and grazing flora that attracts herds of herbivores which are followed by the big predators. Leopards, cheetahs, black-maned lions, elephants and wild dogs are plentiful, as are desert-adapted species such as meerkats and bat-eared foxes.

In fact, the Kalahari is home to the oldest continuous residents of southern Africa, the San people; a collection of nomadic hunters who have inhabited the desert for over 20,000 years. Their fascinating way of life and intimate knowledge of the intricacies of their environment is a testament to their enduring survival in this harsh climate.

Of course, spanning such a vast area, the Kalahari experiences a variety of terrains. Head to the expansive Tswalu Private Game Reserve where the ‘green’ Kalahari grasslands are home to myriad mammal species and bird varieties. Head out on a private game drive on a Kalahari safari for a chance at some extraordinary sightings, before watching the remarkable sunset turn the desert red.